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New Indian Express
8 hours ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Russia backs India on cross-border terror, Rajnath talks arms delivery
NEW DELHI: Russia once again expressed its solidarity with India on the terror attack in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir, as Defence Minister Rajnath Singh discussed cross-border terrorism and defence cooperation in a bilateral meeting with his Russian counterpart Andrey Belousov on the margins of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers' Meeting in Qingdao, China on Thursday. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) on Friday informed that Singh also held bilateral meetings with the defence ministers of Belarus, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan, with India's fight against terrorism in the wake of Operation Sindoor among the common issues discussed. The Singh-Belousov meeting included in-depth discussions on a range of subjects, covering current geopolitical situations, cross-border terrorism, and Indo-Russian defence cooperation. The MoD said key topics also included the 'supply of S-400 systems, Su-30 MKI upgrades, and procurement of critical military hardware in expeditious timeframes'. The S-400 advanced air defence system has the capability of targeting threats up to 400 km. It was deployed during Operation Sindoor. The contract for five missile systems was inked in 2018 for around `35,000 crore. India has so far received three squadrons of the air defence system, which are operationalised and deployed along the borders with China and Pakistan.
Hans India
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Hans India
India has done well by not signing the SCO joint statement
By not signing a tendentious joint statement at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meet, India has made it clear that it will never allow Pakistan and its supporters to peddle their narrative at international forums. The draft statement did not have any reference to the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 innocent lives were lost, but it did mention the Jaffar Express hijacking in Pakistan in March. Addressing the SCO gathering, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh spoke about the Pahalgam attack and the ensuing Operation Sindoor. He articulated Delhi's stand on terrorism in unambiguous terms: 'Peace and prosperity cannot co-exist with terrorism and proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction in the hands of non-state actors and terror groups. Dealing with these challenges requires decisive action... Some countries use cross-border terrorism as an instrument of policy and provide shelter to terrorists. There should be no place for such double standards. SCO should not hesitate to criticise such nations.' The double standards continue because China, the wannabe superpower, keeps supporting and abetting Pakistan to chafe and fret India by whatever means possible, including jihad. Over the decades, China has provided Pakistan with military hardware, financial bailouts, nuclear assistance, and diplomatic cover on the world stage. This is not born out of altruism or ideological affinity—neither exists—but of a deliberate maneuver to keep India perpetually engaged in regional skirmishes, border tensions, and security concerns, thereby slowing down its strategic and economic ascent. Beijing's strategy is part of a broader geopolitical playbook often referred to as the 'String of Pearls' or the policy of 'encirclement.' Through this approach, China seeks to establish strong strategic footholds around India's periphery. This includes developing port infrastructure in countries like Sri Lanka (Hambantota), Pakistan (Gwadar) and Myanmar (Kyaukpyu), effectively tightening a strategic noose around India. By nurturing these relationships, China ensures that India's attention remains divided between defending its immediate borders and countering Beijing's increasing influence in the Indian Ocean region. Beijing's tacit and, at times, overt support for Pakistan's use of asymmetric warfare, including the indirect promotion of jihadist elements targeting India, is a particularly dangerous aspect of this strategy. While China officially distances itself from terrorism, it has repeatedly shielded Pakistan from international scrutiny, especially at forums like the UN Security Council, where Beijing has vetoed or stalled resolutions against Pakistan-based terrorists. This not only emboldens Pakistan but also sends signals to New Delhi that it must constantly remain on guard against cross-border terrorism and hybrid warfare tactics. By abetting Pakistan's antagonistic posture towards India, China ensures that a significant portion of India's resources—both financial and military—are tied up in managing regional conflicts, internal security threats, and defence preparedness against a two-front war scenario. This, in turn, diverts India's focus from economic reforms, infrastructure development, and global diplomatic initiatives that would otherwise propel it to great power status. Ultimately, China's aim is not necessarily to provoke a full-scale war, but to strategically annoy and frustrate India, keeping it politically and militarily overstretched. By exploiting Pakistan's historical animosity towards India and weaving it into its grand strategy, China hopes to slow down India's rise and consolidate its dominance in Asia. India's refusal to sign the statement will not make Islamabad or Beijing mend their ways, but it will make it difficult for them to sell their narrative.
Arabian Post
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Arabian Post
India's Diplomatic Isolation Was Firmly Evident At The SCO Meet In Qingdao In China
By Nitya Chakraborty India's total diplomatic isolation was in show in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)'s defence ministers meet in Qingdao city in China on June 25 and 26 when a joint statement was prepared calling upon the members to jointly fight terror but there was no mention of Pahalgam killings on April 22 while taking note of attacks in Balochistan. The joint statement was prepared after discussions among the members including India and Pakistan at the meet presided over by China, the host nation for 2025 summit. Indian defence minister Rajnath Singh strongly spoke against terror during the deliberations focusing on the Pahalgam massacre and the consequent action of India to dismantle the terror camps in Pakistan through Operation Sindoor. But the joint statement on the final day did not incorporate Indian point on Pahalgam terror while the Pakistani point on Balochistan was included. Naturally, Singh did not sign this one sided declaration. The norm in SCO is that every resolution will have to be on the basis of consensus. So as a result of India's objection, the joint statement could not be issued. Pakistan is happy that India was alone in not signing. So it was a diplomatic victory for Islamabad which is engaged with India in a perception battle after Pahalgam killings and Operation Sindoor, to influence the global opinion. SCO has presently ten members- China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Iran, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Indian officials claimed that the statement was tuned in favour of Pakistan by China. Fine enough. It might be true. But then what about the other seven members including Russia? It was a sheer failure of our foreign office that all the central Asian member states of the SCO did not come in support of India. Even Russia did not intervene to amend the statement to incorporate Indian view. In all in SCO, out of ten members, excepting India, no other country was against the statement. It was a clear 9-1 in favour of Pakistan. The SCO summit of head of states will be held later this year in Tianjin in China. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be attending the SCO summit, it is stated. He will be meeting there the Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as also the other leaders.. The issue of fighting terror will also figure at that summit like the latest meeting of defence ministers. What is Prime Minister of India going to do to ensure that the summit declaration finally contains the Indian viewpoint.? Even before that SCO summit later this year, BRICS summit will be held in Brazil on July 6 and 7. Indian PM will be attending that. At that meeting also, the fight against terror issue will come up. Pakistan is not a member of BRICS. That way that pressure from Islamabad which was there on the Qingdao meeting, will not be there in Brazil summit. But every country has taken some position and that does not change suddenly. It requires constant persuasion and presentation of facts. Rajnath Singh and his team totally failed at Qingdao meeting to convince the members of the SCO. That should not be repeated at the Brazil summit. Only few days are left for the BRICS summit. In these eight days, Indian diplomats have to make all efforts to meet the member countries and convince them of Indian position with full facts about the involvement of Pakistan with terror attacks against India. Brazil and South Africa are key members. They should be briefed properly to avoid any embarrassment at the summit As regards the coming SCO summit later this year, the deliberations will be highly important from the perspective of both security and economy of the region. Now in its 25th year, the SCO has expanded from its original six founding members into a 'big family' of 10 member states, two observer states, and 14 dialogue partners – stretching from the East European plains to the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Rim, and encompassing nearly half of the world's population. SCO sources say that the SCO has become a mature platform for regional security cooperation, with continuously growing influence, cohesion and appeal. Over the past 25 years, this 'giant ship of security' has been riding the waves against terrorism, separatism and extremism, making outstanding contributions to regional security. The economic and trade dividends and people-to-people exchanges emerging from security cooperation have also been remarkable, significantly bringing the peoples of the member states closer together in all aspects. India has neglected the functioning of BRICS and SCO in the last five years out of its love for US sponsored QUAD. Now with the US President Trump humiliating Indian Prime Minister consistently by mentioning his decision on India-Pakistan ceasefire 18 times since May10 and entertaining Pakistan chief of army staff Asim Munir over lunch, our Prime Minister should give a relook to the foreign policy pursued by him in the last five years. This is time India should join hands with Brazil, South Africa and other developing countries to fight for Global South .The country's interests lie with Global South, that Mr. Narendra Modi should not forget. (IPA Service)
The Hindu
16 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Missed opportunity: on India, the terror fight and the SCO
The Qingdao meeting of Defence Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), that ended without a joint communiqué, indicates trouble within the 10-nation grouping. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was forced to withdraw from the joint declaration as it contained no reference to terrorism at the behest of 'one nation' — a reference to Pakistan. This is understandable, given that the meeting comes just weeks after the Pahalgam attack, and Operation Sindoor, after which India's resolve to fight terrorism has redoubled. What sounds more surprising is that not only did the draft resolution fail to mention terrorism but member-states including host China and Russia had even reportedly considered referring to 'disturbances in Balochistan', at the instance of Pakistan, while leaving out mentions of the Pahalgam attack and cross-border terrorism, that India asked for. This is stark given that the SCO's founding Charter in 2002 focused on the need to build 'mutual intraregional efforts to curb terrorism, separatism and extremism', and the Director of SCO's signature Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure was present. Statements by the SCO Secretariat and the Chinese Foreign Ministry stuck to anodyne statements such as '...cooperation ...on modern security challenges and threats'. All eyes will now be on the SCO Foreign Ministers' July meet and the SCO Summit in August-September to see if India's concerns are more appropriately addressed. New Delhi must study whether there are shortcomings in delivering its message on the three-pronged 'new normal' Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced after Operation Sindoor. In particular, China's unhelpful role as Chair on the issue is disquieting, given its recent thaw with India. Unlike the SAARC grouping, where India held sway, the SCO is more focused on the original founders China, Russia and Central Asian States. Mr. Singh's participation followed closely on the heels of India disassociating itself from a statement on Israel's June 13 attack on SCO member Iran as it was critical of Israel. Post-Operation Sindoor, the government sent parliamentary delegations to 32 countries, but not to any SCO member-country. It is possible that the government lost a chance to give the grouping any prominence by doing so, although External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar chaired a meeting of the India-Central Asia forum in June. India's decision to skip hosting an in-person Summit of the SCO during its turn in 2023 could also still rankle. Breaking with the grouping, which is an important regional forum, will simply leave an open platform for Pakistan. Instead of crying foul, the government must convince members that their interests lie in strengthening cross-regional support against terrorism.
Time of India
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Rajnath Singh calls for permanent border solution in talks with China's Dong Jun
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel New Delhi: Defence minister Rajnath Singh called for restoring trust and moving towards a permanent solution to recurrent boundary issues through a formal demarcation of the India-China border and a structured roadmap, during talks with his Chinese counterpart Dong Jun in Qingdao on talks were the first at the defence minister level since India and China agreed to resolve all pending issues from the 2020 border standoff in Ladakh and move forward to normalise bilateral a meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) defence ministers' gathering, Singh emphasised the need to create good neighbourly conditions to achieve mutual benefits and work towards stability in the region. "He also called for bridging the trust deficit created after the 2020 border standoff, by taking action on the ground," officials added that the ministers held in-depth discussions on the need to maintain peace and tranquillity along the India-China border and Singh acknowledged the work being undertaken by both sides to move towards normalcy in bilateral relations. The minister suggested a structured roadmap be developed for complete India and China have disengaged troops on the Ladakh border by moving them away from hotspots, a larger de-escalation has not taken place as China has not moved back the thousands of troops it deployed near the Indian border in the guise of a military exercise in 2020, at the beginning of the Covid-19 said that the two ministers agreed to continue consultations at various levels to achieve progress on issues related to disengagement, de-escalation, border management and eventual de-limitation through existing mechanisms. Singh appreciated the resumption of the Kailash Manasarovar yatra after a gap of five years. During the meeting, Singh also briefed his Chinese counterpart on the Pahalgam terror attack as well as India's actions under Operation Sindoor.
